Modern tales of the Good Samaritan

posted at 12:01 pm on April 20, 2014 by Jazz Shaw

Far too many of the stories we cover here, both in politics and current events, are simply sad, depressing or tragic. It’s the nature of the beast, I’m afraid. But Easter is a time of renewal and hope, and not all stories have unhappy endings. Here are a few modern day Good Samaritans from recent events who I hope will help recharge our collective faith in humanity.

Just after 4 p.m., a 54-year-old Sheboygan woman was leaving a business on N. 8th St. As she was putting items into her vehicle, the 28-year-old male suspect approached her from behind, grabbed her purse, and pulled her to the ground.

The suspect then ran from the scene.

A 55-year-old man driving past the area witnessed the suspect fleeing with the purse and followed him. When the suspect ran into a nearby yard, the good Samaritan parked his vehicle and began searching for the man.

The good Samaritan located the suspect in a yard, going through the stolen purse. The man then pursued, tackled and held down the suspect as officers arrived on scene.

Sheboygan police describe the man’s actions as both decisive and courageous.

A last minute change in lunch plans brought Janus to the CVS on the corner of Fruitville Road and Tuttle Avenue on Sunday. He decided to go kayaking and stopped by the store to buy water, only to find a crime in progress.

Sarasota Police say 65-year-old Freddie Johnson walked into the CVS with what appeared to be a gun in the pocket of his jacket, looking for prescription drugs.

“I saw him threatening the clerk in the front of the store with the gun. ‘I’m going to shoot you if you don’t stand still’ and all that stuff. When I entered he told me the same to shut up or I’ll shoot.” Janus adds.

As Johnson walked towards the pharmacy Janus told the clerk to call 911 and he began to follow Johnson. Janus says, “He was yelling put all the pills in a bag or I’ll shoot.”

Janos waits for Johnson to be distracted with the pills and then makes his move. “So I went grabbed his hand suppose to hold a gun took by the neck forced him down.”

“I told him not to resist to stay down or I’d punch him too,” says Janus. He says, “Police arrived quickly quick response I thank you for that.”

Not every hero rescues other people. Some rescue those who can’t ask for help themselves. When a family in Bluff City, Tennessee found an injured dog in their yard which had apparently been hit by a car, they contacted a business owner across the street to see if they might know who the owner was. She had a big heart.

“She came over to see him. The dog started wagging its tail,” Wanda said. “She seen its leg and she went all to pieces. She said, ‘I’m taking it on to get help. It’s not going to lay here in pain.’ ”

And the woman, who declined to be named or interviewed for the story, went to get her car.

“When she got back, he crawled to her car like he knew she was going to save him,” Wanda said. “It was just meant to be in my yard. He knew we’d get him help. You can’t let little defenseless animals suffer like that.”

The woman, who is being called “the Good Samaritan,” took the dog and brought him to the Appalachian Animal Hospital in nearby Piney Flats.

The dog, now dubbed Radar, spent the weekend at the facility. When the Good Samaritan returned Monday, she discovered Radar needed a very specialized surgery to fix his broken leg. Locally, the surgery could only be done by Dr. Ken Chamness, a veterinarian at Jonesborough Animal Hospital who specializes in orthopedic surgery for animals.

The initial vet stay came with a price tag of more than $500. The surgery, once completed, would cost another $1,000.

“She wants to give it a good life,” Wanda said. “I just felt really bad because it was in our yard and she game over and helped it, and it was a $1,500 expense.”

Just a few people who remind us that there’s still plenty of light left in the world. A joyous Easter to all of you.

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I’d argue this nation is filled with these good samaritan stories. That isn’t what generally makes the news. Case-in-point. The WaPo this morning saw fit to observe Easter with an above-the-fold front page story that most returning war vets are crazy or something.

See, the difference between ordinary citizens coming to the rescue and the police doing their duty is that the citizen puts his life on the line, many times without being armed, and the police come in with SWAT gear armed to the teeth putting innocent women’s and children’s lives on the line. The citizen might get a pat on the back, and the police get promoted.

See, the difference between ordinary citizens coming to the rescue and the police doing their duty is that the citizen puts his life on the line, many times without being armed, and the police come in with SWAT gear armed to the teeth putting innocent women’s and children’s lives on the line. The citizen might get a pat on the back, and the police get promoted.

HiJack on April 20, 2014 at 2:17 PM

It’s sad you think that way. I’m not saying you’re wrong. It’s sad we all think that way. I remember when the policeman walked a beat and knew everybody and they used to tell children the policeman is your friend. Sad that it isn’t like that anymore. They have a lot to do to improve their image.

Atlanta recently witnessed an act of selflessness. Herb Emory, the city’s most well known traffic reporter, died of a massive heart attack after pulling 2 people from a car accident. It was a Saturday and he heard about the accident on the scanner in his personal truck.

Herb was from rural North Carolina and hosted a NASCAR show on his station. Bigots on the left love to call guys like Herb “racist rednecks”.